In response to today's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) release of the final Clean Power Plan rule, World Wildlife Fund issued the following statement from Lou Leonard, vice president, climate change:

"Today’s final rule for the Clean Power Plan is a potential game-changer, both at home and abroad. The Plan tackles the largest source of US carbon pollution – our dirty electricity sector. Today’s rule will help accelerate the transition already beginning toward a nation powered by clean energy that can never spill into pristine Arctic waters or destroy fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The Plan also lays a firm foundation for US leadership at the UN climate negotiations in Paris in December where we have a golden opportunity to finally deliver the truly global and cooperative effort needed. Historically, the US has been a laggard on international climate action, today’s announcement signals to the world that times have changed. Fully implementing the Clean Power Plan and upping its ambition over time is crucial to delivering on the domestic climate target that the US brings to Paris.

"But our ambition can’t end here. A large gap remains between the carbon-cutting pledges that countries, including the US, are making ahead of the Paris talks and what science says is needed to avoid runaway climate change. So as it takes these steps under existing authority at home, the United States has a responsibility, as the largest contributor to the climate crisis, to help close the emissions gap by supporting additional action abroad. Through partnerships with other countries the US can help cut emissions globally by helping to end tropical deforestation and accelerate clean energy deployment in rapidly emerging economies. This one-two punch of domestic and international action is the kind of American leadership that will be needed to secure a strong outcome in Paris."